1. Song Form in Pop Music

2. Connective Tissue
Intro
Outro
Transition
Interlude

3. can be long or short or not at all
Intro
can be long or short or not at all
Usually instrumental
Sets up the tempo
tonality
dynamic range
mood

4. Outro Optional can have vocals - Repeat and fade
A song can stop abruptly without one
Functions like a Classical Coda
no new musical ideas
can contain vocal improvisation

5. Transition / Interlude Usually Instrumental
Short Accompanimental patterns
Between verses and choruses and bridge
Connective - preparatory

6. The musical body parts
Verse
Pre Chorus*
Chorus
Bridge*
Instrumental*

7. Verse Like a poetic stanza Uses phrases - like a poetic lines
uniform in mood
There can be up to three or four verses
The melody remains largely the same
The words change
Usually narrative
First verse can be repeated at the end

8. Always precedes the Chorus Seems always to provide a transition
Pre Chorus*
Same words each time
Always precedes the Chorus
Seems always to provide a transition
between the music of the verses and choruses
*not every song has a Pre Chorus

9. Acts like a summary of the meaning of the song
Chorus
Same words
Same melody
Acts like a summary of the meaning of the song
Can change instrumentation
Can contrast from the style of the verse
vocal range, dynamics, accompaniment patterns
Can repeat back to back
Can contain slight variations in words or melody

10. Bridge* Different words Different music, melody and accompaniment
Provides contrast
Usually comparable in length to a verse or chorus
Usually occurs in the last 1/3

11. Used for contrast to show off the players in the band
Instrumental*
Used for contrast to show off the players in the band
no words - but can have some vocals
May be the same music as a verse - played rather than sung
Can be improvisatory
Usually equivalent in length to verse and chorus
*Not always used in every song

12. Identify the possible chorus Listen Identify possible verses
LOOK AT THE WORDS FIRST
FIND REPETITION FIRST
Identify the possible chorus
Listen
Identify possible verses
Go back and compare verses for
repeated melody with new words
Finally - look for the connective tissues

13. Possible Plans Verse 1 Verse 1 Verse 1 Pre chorus Chorus Verse 1
Bridge
Pre Chorus
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Bridge
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Bridge
Verse 3
Verse 1
Verse 2
Chorus
Verse 3
Bridge

14. Grammy nominee - best song 2011
Beg, Steal or Borrow
Ray LaMontagne
Grammy nominee - best song 2011

15. Form
Verse 1
Verse 2
Chorus
Verse 3
Bridge

16. Instrumentation Lead Guitar / Bass Rhythm Guitar
Drums / Shaker or brushes
Pedal Steel Guitar

17. Observations Very economical with material
Interludes, intro etc - tend to repeat
Pedal steel and Lead guitar punctuate the vocal lines
The composer tends to add instrumental color and activity with time

18. lyric Instrumentation
time
lyric
musical elements
Instrumentation
Introduction, 16 Measures, Duple, homophonic. 4 bar chord progression,
Major
SLDRD, SLDRD
:25
So your home town's bringing you down-
Are you drowning in the small talk and the chatter?
Or you gonna step into line like your daddy done-
Punching the time and climbing life’s long ladder?
Verse One - Tenor Voice, opening leap followed by mostly descending and stepwise movement - repeated notes.
Bass Drums w/ brushes or shaker, Rhythm Guitar

19. :47 :50 1’15 2 bar interlude Punctuated by Lead Guitar
You've been howling at the moon like a slack-jawed fool.
And breaking every rule they can throw on.
But one of these days, it's gonna be right soon,
You'll find your legs and go and stay gone.
Verse Two melodically identical to verse one - except final pitches - upward leap on final word.
Lead guitar punctuates lines two and four
1’15
2 bar interlude - instruments
Lead -guitar and pedal steel riffs

20. Lead -guitar and pedal steel
1’17
Young man full of big plans and thinking about tomorrow
Young man going to make a stand
You beg, steal you borrow
You beg, you steal, you borrow
Chorus - solo voice, with conjunct melodies - steps and small leaps of a third narrow range
Lead -guitar and pedal steel
1’34
8 bar interlude identical to second half of intro with SLDRD repeated - kicks into

21. Verse Three - melody identical to verse one
1’40
Well all the friends that you knew in school
They used to be so cool now they just bore you.
Well look at them now, already pulling the plow
So quick to take to grain like some old mule
Verse Three - melody identical to verse one
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel punctuating lines two and four
2’09
two bar interlude
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel,

22. With Lead guitar, and pedal steel, trading four bar phrases
2’12
Young man full of big plans and thinking about tomorrow
Young man going to make a stand
You beg steal you borrow
You beg you steal you borrow
Chorus - solo voice, with conjunct melodies - steps and small leaps of a third narrow range
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel, punctuating phrases with short riffs less active during the sung portions of text
2’32
Interlude - identical to introduction - 16 bars pedal steel improvises over the harmony, SLDRD x 2
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel, trading four bar phrases

23. With Lead guitar, and pedal steel riffs punctuate lines three and six
2’54
Dreaming of the day
You're gonna pack your bags,
Put the miles away.
Oh, just grab your girl and go
Where no one knows you.
What will all the old folks say?
Bridge - stepwise repetition, downward leap at the end of line three. Melody repeats in lines four through six.
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel riffs punctuate lines three and six
3’14
interlude - brand new syncopated riff - signals a turning point in the song.
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel,

24. Verse One Repeated- punctuated by lead/bass guitar
3’24
So the home town's bringing you down-
Are you drowning in the small talk and the chatter?
Or you gonna step into line like your daddy done
Punching the time and driving life’s long ladder?
Verse One Repeated- punctuated by lead/bass guitar
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel,
3’46
interlude 2 bars

25. Chorus - melodically as before - With Lead guitar, and pedal steel,
3’50
Young man full of big plans and thinking about tomorrow
Young man going to make a stand
You beg, steal you borrow
You beg, you steal, you borrow
Chorus - melodically as before -
With Lead guitar, and pedal steel,
4’10
outdo - or close identical to opening measure with 4 repetitions of SLDRD